Lithographic elements and processes for making such elements are well known. A typical lithographic process for the preparation of lithographic plates requires preparation of the original to be duplicated. Then a negative or positive silver halide graphics arts transparency of the original is prepared with a magnification/reduction camera by exposing a silver halide graphics arts film to the original. The film is then developed. The transparency is masked on a stripping table to arrange the borders as desired. Additional transparencies can be overlayed to make corrections or add to or from the image areas.
The transparency and a light-sensitive lithographic element are punched for alignment, mounted, and drawn down on a vacuum frame. The lithographic element is exposed through the transparency with high intensity UV radiation to crosslink or degrade the non-image areas of the photosensitive material coated on the lithographic element. The plate is developed by washing away the unexposed (crosslinked) areas in case of a negative working lithographic element, or the exposed (degraded) areas in the case of a positive working lithographic element to produce a lithographic element.
The lithographic plates of U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,489 are typical. This patent discloses a lithographic element in which a radiation-sensitive layer comprises a polyester having radiation-sensitive photocrosslinkable components. The disadvantage of the lithographic plates of the prior art as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,489 is that they require the preparation of a separate silver halide graphic arts transparency to make a lithographic plate. It is desirable to eliminate the need for the aforementioned transparency from the process of making a lithographic plate.